Lady of the Lake (Camelot, Arthurian Legend) LADY of the LAKE Identity/Class: Celtic Goddess ( Camelot and modern eras) Occupation: Goddess, guardian of Excalibur Affiliations: Loosely connected to Celtic Gods ; uncertain connection to Nimue/Vivienne (see comments) Avengers West Coast, Black Knight (Dane Whitman), Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), Adam Crown , Excalibur, Green Knight, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Lancelot , Merlin , Arthur Pendragon Enemies: Bane, Hela, Iweret, Leah, Loki, Manchester Gods, Master Wilson, Red Lord , Sir Accalon; possibly Sir Balin Known Relatives: Dyonas (father), Llew-Llaw-Gyffes (uncle), Gwydion (grandfather), Arianrhod (grandmother), Dagda , Leir , Amaethon (granduncles); Mabuz (possible son?) Aliases: Nimue, Nineve, the Maiden of the Lake; see comments Base of Operations: An undersea kingdom or castle possibly beneath Lake Benoye, Benoye, France; First Appearance: Uncertain, possibly Morte D' Arthur by

 Sir Thomas Malory (15th century); (Marvel Universe): (Marvel UK) Hulk Comic#18 (July 4, 1979) Powers/Abilities: Uncertain.

She is apparently immune to the effects of aging and conventional disease. She apparently can survive underwater, although it may be that she uses the lake or other sources of water as a portal to another realm. She may be able to travel to Otherworld/Avalon, and possibly to other dimensions as well. She has long held the sword Excalibur, which she bestows unto only the most worthy swordsmen. In one appearance, she was a green woman, able to transform into (or composed of) a watery substance. She could transport herself to anywhere in which a large pool of water was present. She also may be able to travel through time, or at least view future events. She demonstrated a few other, unspecified magical powers. In another appearance, she had certain powers of vegetation, able to extend vines and branches from her body. The Lady of the Lake is typically described as being clad in shimmering, white robes of the purest samite. History: The Lady of The Lake was a mysterious female credited with giving King Arthur the legendary sword Excalibur and the mystic scabbard which protected the wearer from dying.

She was also credited with abducting Lancelot to her underwater dwelling to be her ward, training him to be the greatest of all knights. Other stories attribute Lancelot du Lac's ("of the Lake") prowess to the Lady of the Lake (with shades of the Achilles myth) baptizing him in a magic pool as a child . In some of the tales, she stole the child Lancelot and cured his madness. This was done so Lancelot could become guard to her weak son Mabuz who was tormented by Iweret. (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#9: Morgan le Fay) - Morgan le Fay stole the enchanted sword Excalibur and its magic scabbard (the wearer of the scabbard would lose no blood, no matter how seriously he were wounded). Morgan had the sword and scabbard replaced with non-magical replicas and then presented her lover, Sir Accolon, with the real Excalibur and scabbard. She then duped Accolon into attacking a knight, with him not knowing that knight was Arthur.

Despite his skill and courage, Arthur might have perished at Accolon's hands had not Nimue used her magic to force Accolon to drop Excalibur. Arthur then seized Excalibur and defeated Accolon, revealing Morgan's plot in the process. (New Excalibur#10) - After Camelot fell under the onslaught of "dragons" (actually Makluans), Percy followed the call of the Lady of the Lake, who pulled him into her waters and sent him forward in time to possess the body of Dane Whitman (the Black Knight of the modern era). With the Ebony Blade, the Percy-possessed Whitman slashed into Percy's own corpse and retrieved a scroll (presumably placed there by the Lady). He fought the arriving Excalibur (Captain Britain, Dazzler (Alison Blaire), Juggernaut, Nocturne (TJ Wagner), Sage, Pete Wisdom) and was knocked out by the Juggernaut. Sage read the scroll, learning that only Excalibur could save Camelot.

(New Excalibur#11) - Percy led Excalibur into the lake, and they emerged back in the 6th century, prior to the dragon's attack, and Percy was restored to his own body. He led them to aid Merlin against an attack by a trio of dragons. The group then returned to Camelot and shared the warning of the dragons' threat to Arthur. (New Excalibur#12 (fb) - BTS) - Pete Wisdom got drunk and hit on Guinevere. Arthur was less than appreciative, and after Wisdom tried to stab him with a carving knife, Arthur punched him out. Wisdom passed out in front of Guinevere's door; but Guinevere had been distraught over Wisdom's unpleasantness and had turned to Lancelot for sympathy, leading to the start of their affair. (New Excalibur#12) - Sage exposed the dragons as Makluans and instructed Merlin to conjure some Formosian herb, which caused the dragons to collapse into unconsciousness. Via the Lady of the Lake's magic, Excalibur and Dane Whitman returned to the modern era.

The fall of Camelot at the dragons' hands was diverged into "reality-6120." After the Battle of Cammlan, wherein both Arthur and his treacherous rival Mordred met their dooms, the dying Arthur commanded his cupbearer, Sir Bedivere, to carry Excalibur to a nearby lake and cast it into the waters. Overcoming his reluctance after an admonishment to obedience by the dying king, Bedivere hurled the blade over the lake and as the blade neared the waters the Lady of the Lake's hand reached up from the depths to grasp it, brandishing it three times before returning to her watery home. (Excalibur: XX Crossing#1) Just after his battle with Mordred, Arthur threw Excalibur into the water for the Lady of the Lake. However, Sidestep, a time-travel mastery rogue, had brainwashed Jean Grey into thinking she was Morgan Le Fay, and she prevented the Lady of the Lake from receiving the sword. However, a time displaced Shadowcat subdued Grey, and the Lady of the Lake received the sword. (see comments).

Some stories place the Lady of the Lake, whether Niamh or Nimue, alongside Morgan le Fey as one of three or even four queens that carry away the mortally wounded Arthur to the Celtic otherworld of Avalon where he awaits the day when Britain once again needs him to return. In one account, she was murdered by the knight Sir Balin demanding Excalibur after Arthur's death. (Hulk Comic#18/2-19/2) - After the temporary destruction of the Ebony Blade by the Iron Knight, the Black Knight (Dane Whitman) was given the sword Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake. She appeared only momentarily, handed him the sword, and returned to the waters from which she had surfaced. (Knights of Pendragon I#15) - The Lady of the Lake appeared in the shower of Adam Crown, telling him of his destiny: "It is time once more for the king to ride out once more for the sword of the new dawn." Apparently following her mystic guidance, Crown traveled to the Museum of Pagan Antiquities in London, stole "a priceless Iron Age sword," and hurled it into the nearby canal.

The sword sank beneath the surface, and then the Lady of the Lake's hand lifted it (or another sword) back above the surface. (Knights of Pendragon I#16 - BTS) - Crown followed the guidance of the Lady of the Lake, bringing the sword from the Lady of the Lake to Wiltshire, England. (Knights of Pendragon I#17) - Crown floated out into the middle of Blagdon reservoir, where the Lady of the Lake confronted him. She led him to Avalon, to the Green Chapel, where she brought him to the empty tomb of Arthur and convinced him that he was the Pendragon reincarnation of King Arthur. Crown accepted the Pendragon spirit as she brought him before the Green Knight. She also cryptically referenced some terrible fate that had befallen her--presumably an attack by the Bane--which was what had made her so hideous. In addition, Ben Gallagher dreamed of a woman, who may have been the Lady of the Lake (or some Arthurian Holy Woman, about whom I have no idea) transforming him into the Pendragon reincarnation of Percival.

His dreams ended when his real body died, from wounds recently suffered in battle against the bane B'Ngudjaaa. The woman transported him to the tombs of Avalon. (Heroes for Hire I#2) - The Lady of the Lake appeared to Dane Whitman in a lagoon in the Central Park Zoo. She transported him to Avalon, where she may have imbued him with the spirit of a Pendragon. She outfitted him with a new suit of armor, the Sword of Light, the Shield of Night, and a new winged steed--Strider. (Heroes for Hire I#8) - The Black Knight returned to Avalon, beseeching the aid of the Lady of the Lake in locating Crystal. She refused, telling him that she must be his lady, as he was bound to her service. In addition, she reminded him that Crystal was wed to another (Quicksilver), and that his affection for her was not honorable. As he left, she prophesized three women for him: the one he loves, the one who stole his heart, and the one who yet waits. All would cause him heartache and grief.

(Captain Britain and MI13#2) - The Lady of the Lake was slain by Skrulls who had usurped the power of magic and invaded Otherworld. (Captain Britain and MI13#4) - With the defeat of the Skrulls and the restoration of magic, the Lady of the Lake was restored to existence. (Journey into Mystery I#639 (fb) ) - Master Wilson met for a parley with King Arthur, Dagda, the Lady of the Lake, Captain Britain and Merlyn, but no compromise was found and a war began. (Journey into Mystery I#639) - Dagda was present in Camelot when King Arthur called everyone to arms against the Manchester Gods. During the call to arms Loki asked the Lady of the Lake for a chance to see the Holy Grail (he had to get it as part of a deal with Hela), but she replied with a quick nay.

(Journey into Mystery I#641) - Dagda, King Arthur, Merlyn, the Lady of the Lake and Captain Britain met at the Round Table in Camelot to discuss tactics when Herne the Hunter arrived to tell them that the lines had collapsed and the wall was breached by the Manchester Gods after their enemies had destroyed the legendary sites connected to Otherworld in Britain. An emissary Engel of the Manchester God came to Avalon's leader to suggest a treaty. A short time later Dagda was present when King Arthur signed a peace treaty with Master Wilson, turning Otherworld into a more democratic domain. (Journey into Mystery I#641 - BTS) - Distracted by the paperwork she had to go through Loki and Leah got a chance to lead Hela to the Holy Grail to drink from it and heal the wounds inflicted upon her by the Disir. Comments: Creator: uncertain. Possibly Sir Thomas Malory in Morte D' Arthur (as suggested by Kyle Smith) Adapted to the MU by Dez Skin, Steve Parkhouse, Paul Neary, and John Stokes. This history is a shortened deduction merging many of the tales of Arthurian myth and, hence, omits some of the details and motivations involved.

In some versions of the Arthurian legends, particularly the Vulgate, there were two separate women/goddesses: Niamh and Vivienne, both of whom also received the name Nimue, who is the Lady of the Lake. In several tales, the identity of Niamh merges with that of Nimue/Vivienne, the love of Merlin. In the stories where Niamh/Nimue was murdered by Sir Balin, Nimue/Vivienne replaced her as the Lady of the Lake. Alternatively, in other versions, there was only a single character, or even two aspects of the same being--the goddess Morgan. If only for the purposes of clarifications, the Appendix will list the Lady of the Lake as Niamh/Nimue, and as a separate being from Nimue/Vivienne. The actual situation in the MU is unlikely to ever be revealed. Further explanatation on the division b/t Niamh and Nimue, courtesy of Greg O: Nimue is often referred as the young enchantress that seduced Merlin.

If she was once Morganna Le Fey's pupil, then later Merlin's pupil and eventual captor how could she be the same person that Merlin brought Arthur to in order to obtain Excalibur? It just doesn't add up. Snood: My guess would be that no one at Marvel knows there are two characters. I'm fairly certain that anyone using the Lady of the Lake intends it to be the same person who gave Arthur Excalibur in the the first place. That means Niamh. If I were to try to explain things, I would think that Niamh (who is a goddess, after all) was not actually killed, or if so, managed to reform herself, and continue as the modern Lady of the Lake. In addition, it just doesn't make sense for Morgan's pupil to have sabotaged her work and saved Arthur's life. I think that had to be Niamh. But I would also like to see more of Nimue/Vivienne. To be honest, with many of the myths, the more you try to pin down who's who and who did what, the more confused you get.

I tried to research this more myself and kept getting further from what I knew/thought was in line with the MU character, so I stopped...--Snood. Per Will U: was the most ancient Celtic-Gaelic spelling of Nimue before the myths were translated into a modern tongue. Same pronunciation either way, Nim-u-way . The story that takes place in Excalibur: XX Crossing #1 does not quite fit into the assumed chronology of the King Arthur legend. However, it could very well be the way events happened on Earth-616, as I don't believe the legendary account has been shown in such otherwise. It's also possible that the time-travel took Grey and Pryde back to an already-diverged Earth where Arthur, not Bedivere, returned Excalibur to the Lady, and their actions had no consequence to the timeline of Earth-616. - Madison Carter The version of the Lady of the Lake in Excalibur#37 (by Scott Lobdell and Mark Badger) is markedly different from the version seen in the rest of the stories.

The version in the Knights of Pendragon is different as well, but she may have been temporarily afflicted by the curse of the Bane...or perhaps that is her true form in the modern era, and she magically cloaks herself in a form more aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps one version is Niamh and the other Vivienne? It's a moo point anyway...I'm thinking not too many people writing for Marvel know anything about either version, except that she gave Excalibur to King Arthur. Also in Excalibur#37, she recalled Iron Man as one who had "championed the Greater Isles of Britain in times past." He did so by traveling back in time to the time of Camelot, in Iron Man I#149, 150. However, the footnote referenced "most recently in Iron Man#250." In that issue, Iron Man traveled forward in time, too an alternate future of 2093, where she assisted that time's Merlin and Arthur.

So, the Lady of the Lake may have: (1) traveled forward in time to that world as well, and knew of those events via that means; (2) viewed those future events through a magical portal; (2) referred only to Iron Man I#150. The footnote may have been directed to the reader, and not specifically referring to the events referenced by the Lady of the Lake. Moot point. Dorkas Farcas. The original Knights of Pendragon series is quite hard to follow. Jess Nevin's pre-FF page covers the Pendragon concept beautifully...but it seems to be down right now. However, the Pendragon were good spirits, formerly tied to many of the Knights of the Round Table, which appeared as needed to fight the darker forces of the world. The Bane represented that dark force, and were apparently agents of the Red Lord , who would presumably be the Celtic God Bodb Derg. I guess the sword that Crown stole was supposed to be Excalibur? Who knows?

In the Heroes for Hire stories, the following people did not remember that Dane Whitman and the Lady of the Lake had already met once (although quite briefly): (1) Dane Whitman, (2) the Lady of the Lake, (3) the writer and editors. Arthur did indeed return in the time of need of England, in the pages of the Marvel UK Hulk Comic, to oppose the forces of Necromon . --the writers of the HsfH series also didn't remember/know this, nor the fact that Arthur had fought side by side with the Black Knight in that story. Some modern historians believe the episodes involving the Lady of the Lake and the drawing forth from (and later return to) the waters of Excalibur as representative of ancient pagan rituals in which swords were left in sacred pools as votive deposits. Mabuz/Mabon was son of Matrona, a lake-goddess disconnected with the LOTL, but merged with her in later years.

If I remember right, his story occurs several years before the incidents in Arthur's life--Will U Many, many thanks to Will U and Greg O, two of the Appendix's myth-masters, for supplying the historical/legend version of both the Lady of the Lake and Nimue/Vivienne. I also gained additional information from: Lady of the Lake , Celtic Gods and Goddesses , Encyclopedia of the Celts , and a few others, which are listed below, although it doesn't seem to have a whole lot to do with the Lady of the Lake Mythologically the Celtic Lady of the Lake was known as a Gwragedd Nnnwn (or Lake Faerie). These fae were often married to mortal men. They were lovely, blonde women who enjoyed female company and aiding mortal women and children. The Lady of the Lake was also considered the Queen of the Isle of Maidens. Nimue (pronounced Nim-oo-ay), mythologically, was a lesser Celtic Moon Goddess; cognate with the Greek Nemesis and Diana of the Grove. Her name meant "fate" and "she who lives" and was said to reside in the Fairy wood of Broceliande. She was also connected to the Goddess Morgan.

Niamh (pronounced Nee-av) , was called Beauty and Brightness and helped heroes at death. She is also listed as a possible form of Badb (who receives a brief mention in the Appendix on the Tuatha da Danaan/Celtic Gods page . Archetypically, Nimue and the Lady of the Lake represented the primal initiation into the Otherworld. She reigned over knowledge, was the foster mother, and the mistress of wisdom. (Iron Man I#250) - Iron Man and Dr. Doom traveled to the (alternate?) future of 2093, where they were brought by the Merlin of that time. Merlin called on the Lady of the Lake to pass on Excalibur to Iron Man to defeat a threat of that future's Dr. Doom and Iron Man (see comments). Journey into Mystery additions by Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS: Nimue/Vivienne --connection uncertain (see comments) Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, should be differentiated from: Excalibur, the British Super-Hero group, @ Excalibur Special Edition I#1 Excaliber , "Slappy" Struthers, empowered by Morgan Le Fay, @ Spider-Woman I#2 Appearances: Hulk Comic#18-19 (July 4, 1979 - July 7, 1979) Excalibur: XX Crossing (1992) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Jae Lee (artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor) Excalibur I#37-38 (May-June, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Mark Badger (artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor) Knights of Pendragon I#15-16 (September-October, 1991) - Dan Abnett & John Tomlinson (writers), Gary Erskine (pencils), Bambos Georgiou (inks), Steve White (editor) Knights of Pendragon I#17 (November, 1991)

 - Dan Abnett & John Tomlinson (writers), Gary Erskine (pencils), Bambos Georgiou (inks), Steve White (editor) Heroes for Hire I#2 (August, 1997) - John Ostrander (writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor) Heroes for Hire I#8 (February, 1998) - John Ostrander (writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor) New Excalibur#10-12 (October-December 2006) "The Last Days of Camelot" - Frank Tieri (writer), Michael Ryan (penciler), Rick Ketcham (inker), Mike Marts (editor) Captain Britain and MI13#2 (August, 2008) - Paul Cornell (writer), Leonard Kirk (penciler), Jesse Delperdang (inker), Will Panzo (assistant editor), Nick Lowe (editor) Captain Britain and MI13#4 (October, 2008) - Paul Cornell (writer), Leonard Kirk (penciler

), Jesse Delperdang (inker), Will Panzo (assistant editor), Nick Lowe (editor) Journey into Mystery I#639 (August, 2012) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Richard Elson (artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor) Journey into Mystery I#641 (September, 2012) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Richard Elson (artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor) Last updated: 11/21/16 Arthurian legend | Article about Arthurian legend by The Free Dictionary Arthurian legend | Article about Arthurian legend by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia .

Arthurian legend, the mass of legend, popular in medieval lore, concerning King Arthur of Britain and his knights. Medieval Sources The battle of Mt. Badon—in which, according to the Annales Cambriae (c.1150), Arthur carried the Cross of Jesus on his shoulders—but not Arthur's name, is mentioned (c.540) by Gildas Gildas, Saint , d. 570, British historian, possibly a Welsh monk. Shortly before 547 he wrote the De excidio et conquestu Britanniae, a Latin history of Britain dealing with the Roman invasion and the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England, the earliest authority for the period. ..... Click the link for more information. . The earliest apparent mention of Arthur in any known literature is a brief reference to a mighty warrior in the Welsh poem Gododdin (c.600). Arthur next appears in Nennius Nennius , fl. 796, Welsh writer, to whom is ascribed the Historia Britonum. He lived on the borders of Mercia and probably was a pupil of Elbod, bishop of Bangor. ..... Click the link for more information.

(c.800) as a Celtic warrior who fought (c.600) 12 victorious battles against the Saxon invaders. These and several subsequent references indicate that his legend had already developed into a considerable literature before Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth , c.1100–1154, English author. He was probably born at Monmouth and was of either Breton or Welsh descent. In 1152 he was named bishop of St. Asaph in Wales. His Historia regum Britanniae (written c. ..... Click the link for more information. wrote his Historia (c.1135), in which he elaborated on the feats of King Arthur whom he represented as the conqueror of Western Europe. After Geoffrey's Historia came Wace Wace , c.1100–1174, Norman-French poet of Jersey. King Henry II made him canon of Bayeux. His Roman de Brut (1155) is a long, rhymed chronicle of British history based on the Historia of Geoffrey of Monmouth. ..... Click the link for more information.

's Roman de Brut (c.1155), which infused the legend with the spirit of chivalric romance. The Brut (c.1200) of Layamon Layamon , fl. c.1200, first prominent Middle English poet. He described himself as a humble priest attached to the church at Ernley (Arley Regis) near Radstone. His Brut ..... Click the link for more information. , modeled on Wace's work, gives one of the best pictures of Arthur as a national hero. Chrétien de Troyes Chrétien de Troyes or Chrestien de Troyes , fl. 1170, French poet, author of the first great literary treatments of the Arthurian legend. His narrative romances, composed c.1170–c. ..... Click the link for more information. , a 12th-century French poet, wrote five romances dealing with the knights of Arthur's court. His Perceval contains the earliest extant literary version of the quest of the Holy Grail (see Grail, Holy Grail, Holy, a feature of medieval legend and literature.

It appears variously as a chalice, a cup, or a dish and sometimes as a stone or a caldron into which a bleeding lance drips. It was identified by Christians as the chalice of the Last Supper brought to England by St. ..... Click the link for more information. ). Two medieval German poets important in the development of Arthurian legend are Wolfram von Eschenbach Wolfram von Eschenbach , c.1170–c.1220, German poet. Perhaps the greatest of the German minnesingers, and one of the finest poets of medieval Europe. He was a knight who led a restless, roving life. In 1203 he was at the court of Landgrave Hermann von Thüringen. ..... Click the link for more information. and Gottfried von Strassburg Gottfried von Strassburg , fl. 13th cent., German poet, also called Godfrey of Strasbourg. He is thought to have been official scribe of Strasbourg, but little is known of him. As author of the Middle High German Tristan (c. ..... Click the link for more information. .

The latter's Tristan was the first great literary treatment of the Tristram and Isolde Tristram and Isolde , medieval romance. The earliest extant version (incomplete) was written (c.1185) by Thomas of Britain in Anglo-Norman French verse. About 1210, Gottfried von Strassburg wrote in German verse a version based on that of Thomas. ..... Click the link for more information. story. After 1225 no significant medieval Arthurian literature was produced on the Continent. In England, however, the legend continued to flourish. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c.1370), one of the best Middle English romances, embodies the ideal of chivalric knighthood. The last important medieval work dealing with the Arthurian legend is the Morte d'Arthur of Sir Thomas Malory Malory, Sir Thomas , d. 1471, English author of Morte d'Arthur. It is almost certain that he was Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revell, Warwickshire. Knighted in 1442, he served in the parliament of 1445. ..... Click the link for more information.

, whose tales have become the source for most subsequent Arthurian material. Many writers have used Arthurian themes since Malory, notably Tennyson in his Idylls of the King. Swinburne, William Morris, and Edwin Arlington Robinson also wrote poetic works based on the legend. T. H. White's trilogy The Once and Future King (1958) is a charming and decidedly 20th-century retelling of the Arthurian story. The Link to Celtic Mythology Formerly, it was thought that the Arthurian legend was the work of several inventive poets and romancers of the Middle Ages. The generally accepted theory now is that Arthurian legend developed out of stories of Celtic mythology. The most archaic form in which these occur in British sources is the Welsh Mabinogion Mabinogion , title given to a collection of medieval Welsh stories. Scholars differ as to the meaning of the word mabinogion: some think it to be the plural of the Welsh word mabinogi, which means "youthful career"; others think it derives from the Welsh word ..... Click the link for more information. , but much of Irish mythology is palpably identical with Arthurian romance.

It is probable that traditional Irish hero stories fused in Britain with those of the Welsh, the Cornish, and the Celts of North Britain. The resultant legend with its hero, Arthur, was transmitted to their Breton cousins on the Continent probably by the year 1000. The Bretons, famous as wandering minstrels, followed Norman armies over Western Europe and used the legend's stories for their repertory. By 1100, therefore, Arthurian stories were well known even in Italy. The Story Although there are innumerable variations of the Arthurian legend, the basic story has remained the same. Arthur was the illegitimate son of Uther Pendragon, king of Britain, and Igraine, the wife of Gorlois of Cornwall. After the death of Uther, Arthur, who had been reared in secrecy, won acknowledgment as king of Britain by successfully withdrawing a sword from a stone. Merlin Merlin, in Arthurian legend, magician, seer, and teacher at the court of King Vortigern and later at the court of King Arthur. He was a bard and culture hero in early Celtic folklore. In Arthurian legend he is famous as a magician and as the counselor of King Arthur. .....

Click the link for more information. , the court magician, then revealed the new king's parentage. Arthur, reigning in his court at Camelot, proved to be a noble king and a mighty warrior. He was the possessor of the miraculous sword Excalibur Excalibur , in Arthurian legend, sword given to King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. At Arthur's death Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur into the lake; a hand rose from the water, caught the sword, and disappeared. ..... Click the link for more information. , given to him by the mysterious Lady of the Lake Lady of the Lake, in Arthurian legend, a misty, supernatural figure endowed with magic powers, who gave the sword Excalibur to King Arthur. She inhabited a castle in an underwater kingdom. ..... Click the link for more information. . Of Arthur's several enemies, the most treacherous were his sister Morgan le Fay and his nephew Mordred. Morgan le Fay was usually represented as an evil sorceress, scheming to win Arthur's throne for herself and her lover. Mordred (or Modred) was variously Arthur's nephew or his son by his sister Morgawse.

He seized Arthur's throne during the king's absence. Later he was slain in battle by Arthur, but not before he had fatally wounded the king. Arthur was borne away to the isle of Avalon Avalon , in Celtic mythology, the blissful otherworld of the dead. In medieval romance it was the island to which the mortally wounded King Arthur was taken, and from which it was expected he would someday return. Avalon is often identified with Glastonbury in Somerset, England. ..... Click the link for more information. , where it was expected that he would be healed of his wounds and that he would someday return to his people. Two of the most invincible knights in Arthur's realm were Sir Tristram and Sir Launcelot of the Lake. Both of them, however, were involved in illicit and tragic love unions—Tristram with Isolde, the queen of Tristram's uncle, King Mark; Launcelot Launcelot, Sir , in Arthurian legend, bravest and most celebrated knight at the court of King Arthur. He was kidnapped as an infant by the mysterious Lady of the Lake, from whom he received his education and took his title, Launcelot of the Lake.

..... Click the link for more information. with Guinevere Guinevere , in Arthurian legend, wife of King Arthur. Her illicit and tragic love for Sir Launcelot, which foreshadowed the downfall of Arthur's kingdom, ends with her retirement to a convent. ..... Click the link for more information. , the queen of his sovereign, King Arthur. Other knights of importance include the naive Sir Pelleas, who fell helplessly in love with the heartless Ettarre (or Ettard) and Sir Gawain, Arthur's nephew, who appeared variously as the ideal of knightly courtesy and as the bitter enemy of Launcelot. Also significant are Sir Balin and Sir Balan, two devoted brothers who unwittingly slew one another; Sir Galahad, Launcelot's son, who was the hero of the quest for the Holy Grail; Sir Kay, Arthur's villainous foster brother; Sir Percivale (or Parsifal Parsifal , figure of Arthurian legend also known as Sir Percivale, who is in turn a later form of a hero of Celtic myth.

The name originally occurs as Pryderi, an alternative name of Gwry in Pwyll Prince of Dyved, a tale in the Mabinogion. ..... Click the link for more information. ); Sir Gareth; Sir Geraint; Sir Bedivere; and other knights of the Round Table Round Table, in Arthurian legend, the table at which King Arthur and his knights held court. It was allegedly fashioned at the behest of Arthur to prevent quarrels among the knights over precedence. ..... Click the link for more information. . To modern readers, Arthurian legend has become the mirror of the ideal of medieval knighthood and chivalry chivalry , system of ethical ideals that arose from feudalism and had its highest development in the 12th and 13th cent. Chivalric ethics originated chiefly in France and Spain and spread rapidly to the rest of the Continent and to England. ..... Click the link for more information. . Bibliography See studies by R. H. Fletcher (2d ed. 1966), R. L. Loomis (1949; 1956; 1927, repr.

1969; 1963, repr. 1970), L. Alcock (1972), J. Morris (1973), and R. W. Barber (1973); J. L. Weston, tr., Arthurian Romances Unrepresented in Malory's Morte d'Arthur (8 vol., 1907; repr. 1971); N. J. Lacy et al., ed., The Arthurian Encyclopedia (1987); E. Archibald and A. Putter, ed., The Cambridge Companion to the Arthurian Legends (2009). Lady of the Lake - GargWiki Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake is a Child of Oberon . Contents 6 See Also History The enchanted sword Excalibur is in the Lady's keeping; in King Arthur 's time, she gave the sword to him, but received it back after his final battle. She was one of the three women who bore the wounded Arthur away to Avalon after the Battle of Camlann in 542, the other two being Nimue and Morgana le Fay .

[1] When King Arthur and Griff were brought to New York City on their quest for Excalibur, they, accompanied by the Trio and Hudson , encountered the Lady of the Lake in a lake in Central Park . She told Arthur that he must prove himself worthy of Excalibur once again, and tested him by pitting him against a Water Djinn , which he vanquished with the help of the gargoyles . Afterwards, she showed him where the sword lay, in the stone dragon statue in the center of the maze in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens , and then she disappeared. ( "Pendragon" ) Shortly thereafter, the Lady of the Lake returned to Avalon for the Gathering . ( "The Gathering" Part One ) Characteristics The Lady of the Lake looks like a beautiful silver-haired woman in a gown of white samite. She is accompanied by small water-sprites, and has power over water itself. Appearances "The Gathering" Part One (No Lines) Real World Background The Lady of the Lake was the keeper of the sword Excalibur in Arthurian legend.

According to Sir Thomas Malory , after King Arthur broke his original sword in battle against King Pellinor, Merlin brought him to the Lake of Avalon, where the Lady of the Lake appeared. She agreed to give Arthur Excalibur for his new sword, and he bore it from then on. Presumably she received it back after Sir Bedivere returned it to the lake. In the Vulgate Cycle, she also served as the foster-mother to Sir Lancelot, raising him in her home after Benwick, the kingdom of his father Ban, was conquered by King Claudas, and sending him to Arthur's court when he was of age. (According to Mr. Weisman, however, this last did not happen in the Gargoyles Universe .) [2] The Lady of the Lake is often identified - or confused - with Nimue, the sorceress whom Merlin fell in love with and who magically imprisoned him; even Malory did this. In the Gargoyles Universe, however, they are separate figures.

Malory's own account of the Lady of the Lake had her slain by Sir Balin of Northumberland, one of Arthur's knights, who claimed that she was an evil sorceress who had murdered his mother; obviously this did not take place in the Gargoyles Universe (unless the Lady of the Lake underwent a temporary "death", similar to that of the Banshee and Anansi ). Gargoyles interprets the Lady of the Lake as one of the Third Race ; however, Malory and the Vulgate Cycle seem to have interpreted her as a human sorceress; the Vulgate even claimed that her "enchanted lake" was really a splendid human city concealed by an illusionary lake from outward eyes. This interpretation was clearly not used by Gargoyles, however. Production Background

Question: According to Arthurian legend, which knight returned Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake?
Answer: Sir Bedivere